A judge refused to lower the $3 million bond of a Joliet man whose conviction of killing a baby was reversed by an appellate court.

On Monday, Will County Judge Sarah Jones denied a motion from the attorneys for 39-year-old Santos Loza to have his bond reduced to $150,000 after arguing his current bond “serves no purpose other than making it impossible for him to post the bail amount,” according to court records.

On Aug. 5, the 3rd District Appellate Court reversed Loza’s first-degree murder conviction and set a new trial because the trial court “abused its discretion” by allowing recorded police interrogations of Loza to be shown to the jury at his trial in 2015.

After Loza won his appeal, he was taken from prison to the Will County jail, where he is being held on the $3 million bond. His attorney Adam Altman argued that his bond is excessive and unconstitutional.

“It’s virtually a denial of bail altogether,” Altman said.

Altman argued Loza has no criminal history and he has “not so much as gotten into a fistfight.” He also said Loza does not pose a flight risk and he has cooperated with law enforcement in the past.

Will County Assistant State’s Attorney Chris Koch argued Loza likely will be convicted of murder again.

A jury found Loza guilty after two trials – in 2013 and 2015. Koch said Loza has a motivation to flee because if he is convicted again, he is looking at spending
34 years in prison.

“If there is not a motive to flee, then I don’t know what there is then,” Koch said.